The Modi government seems set for a Cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday morning with inclusions from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Assam likely in the exercise. Of these, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are States going to poll, and there is much anxiety on who could be included.
The Director General of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Frank Noronha confirmed the time and date of the reshuffle via Twitter on Tuesday morning, more than six weeks after speculation began.
“There is, at the moment, one vacancy in the Council of Ministers that of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal who had held the Sports and Youth Affairs portfolio, that has to be filled by someone from Assam itself. The two names doing the rounds are senior BJP leader Ramen Deka and Rameshwar Singh, first time MP from Dibrugarh,” said a senior source.
There is talk that Arjun Ram Meghwal, Bikaner MP and chief whip of the BJP in the Lok Sabha may be added to the Ministry or that he may even replace Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Nihal Chand Meghwal, who has been summoned in a rape case.
Contenders from Uttarakhand include the Dalit MP from Almora Ajay Tamta, and former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.
Chandauli MP Mahendra Nath Pandey, Almora MP Ajay Tamta, and Apna Dal MP from Mirzapur, Anupriya Patel, are also likely to be included in the Cabinet.
“The national team of the BJP will also be given a makeover once the Cabinet reshuffle is done. There will be some people who will be sent from the government to the party,” said a senior office bearer in the BJP. He did not however share the names of who they could be.
The Director General of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Frank Noronha confirmed the time and date of the reshuffle via Twitter on Tuesday morning, more than six weeks after speculation began.
“There is, at the moment, one vacancy in the Council of Ministers that of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal who had held the Sports and Youth Affairs portfolio, that has to be filled by someone from Assam itself. The two names doing the rounds are senior BJP leader Ramen Deka and Rameshwar Singh, first time MP from Dibrugarh,” said a senior source.
There is talk that Arjun Ram Meghwal, Bikaner MP and chief whip of the BJP in the Lok Sabha may be added to the Ministry or that he may even replace Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Nihal Chand Meghwal, who has been summoned in a rape case.
Contenders from Uttarakhand include the Dalit MP from Almora Ajay Tamta, and former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.
Chandauli MP Mahendra Nath Pandey, Almora MP Ajay Tamta, and Apna Dal MP from Mirzapur, Anupriya Patel, are also likely to be included in the Cabinet.
“The national team of the BJP will also be given a makeover once the Cabinet reshuffle is done. There will be some people who will be sent from the government to the party,” said a senior office bearer in the BJP. He did not however share the names of who they could be.